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08-21-2009, 06:25 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Cash Quote
Leeches.

I'll let you know if it was worth it when I get the film back.
I hate leaches.

08-22-2009, 03:50 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by tvfd911 Quote
I hate leaches.
So did I until I got bitten by some. Other than being somewhat disgusting, they're really not that bad. I was lucky the first time in that I got bitten and the leech dropped off and was gone before I even noticed it. There's no pain involved and if it hadn't been for the blood on my pants leg I probably never would have known at all. Later on it itched a bit, but not as bad as a mosquito bite.

The second time came a week later in the same area up in the mountains when I wanted to get into a good position to do a close shot of a waterfall. I had to wade across a small river so I could climb up some rocks on the other side. I rolled up my pants legs, took off my socks, put my shoes back on and started across. When I got into position I noticed one leech on my ankle and easily removed it. I found another one on top of my foot, right under the tongue of my shoe but decided to leave it alone until I got done. After all, the damage was done and it wasn't like I was going to bleed to death from it.

The big surprise came when I retrieved my socks and found one clinging to each of them....they're amazingly hard to remove from socks, by the way. Even banging the socks repeatedly against a tree had no effect.

I suspected there were leeches in the area from having been bitten that one time before, but it was confirmed for me before I decided to cross the river. My Croc-wearing teenaged daughter alerted me to their presence in no uncertain terms, having discovered two lunching on her ankles. Funny thing.....she won't go with me to the mountains anymore. And any thoughts I may have once entertained about her possibly enjoying wading into the rivers as I do have entire dissipated. Based on our limited experience we are of the opinion that while the leeches themselves go away, the marks of their bites do not.

So prior to having been bitten, I would have avoided any place I knew had leeches. But having experienced leeches now, I wouldn't let the presence of a few of them deter me from going after a photo. The prospect of a couple or three leeches doesn't bother me. The thought of looking down and finding any more than that is still horrifying, though. That would have to be one hell of a photo op for me to risk more than a very few bites. Fortunately, appropriate footwear and precautions to avoid exposed skin can easily defeat the little bastards.
08-22-2009, 04:55 PM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Cash Quote
So did I until I got bitten by some. Other than being somewhat disgusting, they're really not that bad. I was lucky the first time in that I got bitten and the leech dropped off and was gone before I even noticed it. There's no pain involved and if it hadn't been for the blood on my pants leg I probably never would have known at all. Later on it itched a bit, but not as bad as a mosquito bite.

The second time came a week later in the same area up in the mountains when I wanted to get into a good position to do a close shot of a waterfall. I had to wade across a small river so I could climb up some rocks on the other side. I rolled up my pants legs, took off my socks, put my shoes back on and started across. When I got into position I noticed one leech on my ankle and easily removed it. I found another one on top of my foot, right under the tongue of my shoe but decided to leave it alone until I got done. After all, the damage was done and it wasn't like I was going to bleed to death from it.

The big surprise came when I retrieved my socks and found one clinging to each of them....they're amazingly hard to remove from socks, by the way. Even banging the socks repeatedly against a tree had no effect.

I suspected there were leeches in the area from having been bitten that one time before, but it was confirmed for me before I decided to cross the river. My Croc-wearing teenaged daughter alerted me to their presence in no uncertain terms, having discovered two lunching on her ankles. Funny thing.....she won't go with me to the mountains anymore. And any thoughts I may have once entertained about her possibly enjoying wading into the rivers as I do have entire dissipated. Based on our limited experience we are of the opinion that while the leeches themselves go away, the marks of their bites do not.

So prior to having been bitten, I would have avoided any place I knew had leeches. But having experienced leeches now, I wouldn't let the presence of a few of them deter me from going after a photo. The prospect of a couple or three leeches doesn't bother me. The thought of looking down and finding any more than that is still horrifying, though. That would have to be one hell of a photo op for me to risk more than a very few bites. Fortunately, appropriate footwear and precautions to avoid exposed skin can easily defeat the little bastards.
Too bad your daughter has been turned off to going out into water like that over leeches. I grew up next to a lake and had some marsh on the farm. They really aren't that bad and don't prevent me from wading through muck and marsh to get to a certain fishing hole or what-not, but it's one of those mind things where the thought of the bastards make me shudder.

It is sweet revenge though to take them off your legs and thread them on a fish hook to be taken by a bass.

Not sure if you knew it or not, but when removing them, don't just rip them off, use your fingernail to break the seal between their sucker and your skin and work them off that way. That way it will damage you less than ripping and the bite should heal up better.
08-22-2009, 05:38 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by hillerby Quote
Would standing on the skids of a helicopter making final approach into a "hot LZ" qualify? Did that many times back in the day. Altitude about100 ft, forward airspeed about 60 MPH and holding on with one hand and a Leica M3 in the other ..... Now that's a RUSH!
I'd say that qualifies. You still have a Leica?

08-22-2009, 05:52 PM   #20
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Taking pictures at the Berkeley Flea Market.
I discovered today that a white man with a camera is not a welcome sight at what is a predominantly black event.
08-22-2009, 06:09 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Damn Brit Quote
Taking pictures at the Berkeley Flea Market.
I discovered today that a white man with a camera is not a welcome sight at what is a predominantly black event.
I thought Obama fixed all that.
08-22-2009, 06:39 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Cash Quote
I thought Obama fixed all that.
You've obviously never visited Oakland Mike.
Despite harassment, I took pictures anyway. They did back down (except for one) when I explained to them that I wasn't a stills photographer for 'Cops' and that what I was doing was perfectly legal.

08-22-2009, 09:12 PM   #23
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Hey Bud, wana buy a laptop?

08-23-2009, 01:57 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by KungPOW Quote
Hey Bud, wana buy a laptop?

The "DRUGS" sign in the background is an excellent touch.
08-23-2009, 04:11 AM   #25
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I live in northen sweden, no tics, no dangerous snakes or spiders. Just mosquitos that is irritating when you are trying to hold your camera steady.

Tho, it would be fun to have a bit more wildlife to photograph
08-23-2009, 06:55 AM   #26
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Canadian Mosquitoes !

We have it all where I live! ...chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, bees/wasps/hornets, biting flies, snakes, poison ivy/oak, etc.
I still have about 20 chigger bites from my hike last weekend. You have to suffocate them; NuSkin works great.
I shot this yesterday without getting stung from @1.2M (4'):


A few years ago I was up in Grandmother Land (Canada) shooting an event on the rez in early summer. The property had a number of springs and small ponds. I went out at daybreak to shoot the beautiful morning thaw and mists. As the sun warmed the surfaces and the thin ice started to melt swarms of bugs started to rise and swarm. For about 1 second I thought, "wow". Then I realized they were huge, hungry mosquitoes and I was the only warm-blooded creature in sight. There was no question of "bravery", I was haulin' ass. I had a large bag full of Nikons and a beast of a tripod and was almost a K from the house. The best photo op of the morning was surely me and my gear running from the hungry swarm. I was sure they would carry me off and bleed me dry.
Even worse, for all the effort and bites, I had only shot a few frames and none were keepers.

Last edited by StevenVH; 08-23-2009 at 07:03 AM.
08-23-2009, 09:10 AM   #27
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No, the Leica was turned in (Property of the US Army). I sure wanted to get that kit home. I had a chance to get it written off as a "Combat Loss", but chickened out!
08-23-2009, 11:59 AM   #28
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I like to get up close. He decided to charge as a warning. I was moving as I shot.


But in the end I was able to get close. Being in 6' weeds made for some touchy stalking.


DS, 35-70, iso 400
08-23-2009, 10:06 PM   #29
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Lovely shot, there, Wildlife.

But you really got to beware of these guys when they're eating.




I surprised this creature near my own home. I nearly dropped my coffee.

(Ok, so this is actually a recreation of a far more perilous occasion. No actual RMLs were in danger. )
09-02-2009, 03:25 PM   #30
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I'm a newspaper guy. Years ago, I was working on deadline one evening when a powerful microburst blew through town. Horizontal rain, pieces of roofing cartwheeling down the street, trees going down all over the place. As the storm reached its peak, my editor and I went to the front door and were watching three very large, very old spruce trees across the street bending over in the wind. We just followed our instincts. He held the door open against the wind while I crouched between him and the open door and started shooting away. I got a great sequence of two of the three trees snapping off halfway up the trunk. When the shooting was over, we closed the door and looked inside, and we found our graphic design person - who clearly had experience in tornado country - under her desk. Probably the only one of us with any sense.
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